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Mauro Moretti

Publications and source records attributed to Mauro Moretti.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Next-to-leading order FsQED corrections to radiative pion pair production

We compute the next-to-leading order corrections to the radiative return process $e^+ e^- \to \pi^+ \pi^- \gamma$ within the FsQED approach to embed the pion form factor in the calculation of loop integrals. We compare our results with those of the factorised scalar QED approach, as well as with previous predictions obtained by us in the generalised vector meson dominance model. We show the numerical impact of the structure-dependent corrections on various observables of interest for radiative return experiments at flavour factories. Following recent input from the literature, we include in our calculation also leading corrections beyond FsQED and we provide a first estimate of such contributions. We also investigate additional mechanisms contributing to final-state radiation at center-of-mass energies around the $\phi$-meson resonance, such as radiative $\phi$ decays, presenting numerical results that are relevant for the KLOE experiment. These novel features are implemented in the Monte Carlo event generator BabaYaga@NLO, which can now be used to evaluate the impact of the modelling of pion-photon interaction in radiative return measurements.

hep-ph

Structure-dependent radiative corrections to $e^+ e^- \to \pi^+ \pi^- \gamma$ in the GVMD approach

We compute the radiative corrections to the process of two-pion production in association with a hard photon in $e^+ e^-$ annihilation by taking into account the non-perturbative structure of the pion in the one-loop calculation. For this purpose, we adopt the generalised vector meson dominance model to insert the pion form factor in loop integrals for the treatment of final-state radiation and initial-final state interference at next-to-leading order. We compare our predictions with the results of the naive factorised scalar QED approach for experimentally relevant observables in the measurement of the $e^+ e^- \to \pi^+ \pi^- \gamma$ process. The computation extends previous results obtained for the energy scan process $e^+ e^- \to \pi^+ \pi^-$ and can be used to quantify the uncertainty due to the model describing the pion-photon interaction in radiative return experiments at flavour factories.

hep-ph

Radiative return at NLOPS accuracy

The radiative return, together with the energy scan, is the method used at flavour factories to measure the pion form factor, which is a crucial input for the data-driven dispersive computation of the leading-order hadronic contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment. We consider the radiative hadronic and leptonic channels of main experimental interest, namely the processes $e^+e^-\to X^+X^-\gamma$, with $X = \{\pi \, , \mu \}$. For such processes, we compute the exact next-to-leading order (NLO) corrections matched to a Parton Shower (PS) to describe exclusive multiple photon emission. All sources of radiative corrections from initial-state and final-state radiation, as well as their interference, are considered according to QED for $e^+e^-\to\mu^+\mu^-\gamma$ and QED$\oplus$F$\times$sQED (Factorised scalar QED) for $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-\gamma$. We describe in detail the novel features of our PS approach to compute the fixed-order corrections in association with higher-order contributions to $2\to3$ processes, with a hard photon in the final state. We present validation tests and comparisons with NLO predictions available in the literature to cross-check various ingredients of our formulation. We also show numerical results at NLOPS accuracy according to realistic event selection criteria for precision measurements at flavour factories. Our calculation is implemented in an updated version of the Monte Carlo event generator BabaYaga@NLO, which can be used for fully exclusive simulations and data analysis in radiative return experiments.

hep-ph

Anomalous Couplings in Double Higgs Production

The process of gluon-initiated double Higgs production is sensitive to non-linear interactions of the Higgs boson. In the context of the Standard Model, studies of this process focused on the extraction of the Higgs trilinear coupling. In a general parametrization of New Physics effects, however, an even more interesting interaction that can be tested through this channel is the (ttbar hh) coupling. This interaction vanishes in the Standard Model and is a genuine signature of theories in which the Higgs boson emerges from a strongly-interacting sector. In this paper we perform a model-independent estimate of the LHC potential to detect anomalous Higgs couplings in gluon-fusion double Higgs production. We find that while the sensitivity to the trilinear is poor, the perspectives of measuring the new (ttbar hh) coupling are rather promising.

hep-ph

Electroweak Sudakov Corrections to New Physics Searches at the CERN LHC

We compute the one-loop electroweak Sudakov corrections to the production process Z (nu bar{nu}) + n jets, with n = 1,2,3, in p p collisions at the LHC. It represents the main irreducible background to new physics searches at the energy frontier. The results are obtained at the leading and next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy by implementing the general algorithm of Denner-Pozzorini in the event generator for multiparton processes ALPGEN. For the standard selection cuts used by ATLAS and CMS collaborations, we show that the Sudakov corrections to the relevant observables can grow up to - 40% at sqrt{s} = 14 TeV. We also include the contribution due to undetected real radiation of massive gauge bosons, to show to what extent the partial cancellation with the large negative virtual corrections takes place in realistic event selections.

hep-ph

Electroweak Corrections at High Energies

We present a survey of the most abundant processes at the LHC for sensitivity to electroweak corrections at \sqrt{s} = 8, 14, 33, and 100 TeV proton-proton collision energies. The processes studied are pp -> dijet, inclusive W and Z, W/Z+jets, and WW. In each case we compare the experimental uncertainty in the highest kinematic regions of interest with the relative magnitude of electroweak corrections and fixed-order α_S calculations.

hep-ph

Strong Double Higgs Production at the LHC

The hierarchy problem and the electroweak data, together, provide a plausible motivation for considering a light Higgs emerging as a pseudo-Goldstone boson from a strongly-coupled sector. In that scenario, the rates for Higgs production and decay differ significantly from those in the Standard Model. However, one genuine strong coupling signature is the growth with energy of the scattering amplitudes among the Goldstone bosons, the longitudinally polarized vector bosons as well as the Higgs boson itself. The rate for double Higgs production in vector boson fusion is thus enhanced with respect to its negligible rate in the SM. We study that reaction in pp collisions, where the production of two Higgs bosons at high pT is associated with the emission of two forward jets. We concentrate on the decay mode hh -> WW^(*)WW^(*) and study the semi-leptonic decay chains of the W's with 2, 3 or 4 leptons in the final states. While the 3 lepton final states are the most relevant and can lead to a 3 sigma signal significance with 300 fb^{-1} collected at a 14 TeV LHC, the two same-sign lepton final states provide complementary information. We also comment on the prospects for improving the detectability of double Higgs production at the foreseen LHC energy and luminosity upgrades.

hep-ph

Higgs Boson Production in Association with a Photon in Vector Boson Fusion at the LHC

Higgs boson production in association with two forward jets and a central photon at the CERN Large Hadron Collider is analyzed, for the Higgs boson decaying into a b bbar pair in the m_H <= 140 GeV mass region. We study both irreducible and main reducible backgrounds at parton level. Compared to the Higgs production via vector-boson fusion, the request of a further photon at moderate rapidities dramatically enhances the signal/background ratio. Inclusive cross sections for p_T^γ>= 20 GeV can reach a few tens of fb's. After a suitable choice of kinematical cuts, the cross-section ratio for signal and irreducible-background can be enhanced up to >= ~1/10, with a signal cross section of the order of a few fb's, for m_H ~ 120 GeV. The request of a central photon radiation also enhances the relative signal sensitivity to the WWH coupling with respect to the ZZH coupling. Hence, a determination of the cross section for the associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into a b bbar pair plus a central photon in vector-boson fusion could help in constraining the b bbar H coupling, and the WWH coupling as well. A preliminary study of QCD showering effects points to a further significant improvement of the signal detectability over the background.

hep-ph

Matching matrix elements and shower evolution for top-quark production in hadronic collisions

We study the matching of multijet matrix elements and shower evolution in the case of top production in hadronic collisions at the Tevatron and at the LHC. We present the results of the matching algorithm implemented in the ALPGEN Monte Carlo generator, and compare them with results obtained at the parton level, and with the predictions of the MC@NLO approach. We highlight the consistency of the matching algorithm when applied to these final states, and the excellent agreement obtained with MC@NLO for most inclusive quantities. We nevertheless identify also a remarkable difference in the rapidity spectrum of the leading jet accompanying the top quark pair, and comment on the likely origin of this discrepancy.

hep-ph

Theoretical Aspects of Higgs Physics at the LHC

The strategies recently developed to study Higgs boson properties at the LHC are reviewed. It is shown how to obtain model-independent determinations of couplings to fermions and gauge bosons by exploiting different production and decay channels. We consider the case of Weak Boson Fusion Higgs production with H decaying into b anti-b

hep-ph

Multijet matrix elements and shower evolution in hadronic collisions: W b bbar + n jets as a case study

We study in this paper the production, in hadronic collisions, of final states with W gauge bosons, heavy quark pairs and n extra jets (with n up to 4). The complete partonic tree-level QCD matrix elements are evaluated using the ALPHA algorithm, and the events generated at the parton level are then evolved through the QCD shower and eventually hadronised using the coherent shower evolution provided by the HERWIG Monte Carlo. We discuss the details of our Monte Carlo implementation, and present results of phenomenological interest for the Tevatron Collider and for the LHC. We also comment on the impact of our calculation on the backgrounds to W (H -> b bbar) production, when only one b jet is tagged.

hep-ph

O'Mega: An Optimizing Matrix Element Generator

We sketch the architecture of O'Mega, a new optimizing compiler for tree amplitudes in quantum field theory, and briefly describe its usage. O'Mega generates the most efficient code currently available for scattering amplitudes for many polarized particles in the Standard Model and its extensions.

hep-ph

Four leptons final states from $γγ$ fusion

I present a systematic study of all possible four leptons final states from $γγ$ collisions. It is given a detailed account of fermion masses effects which are sizable since several collinear and $t$ channel enancements occur. The effects of angular cuts on the final charged leptons are also discussed. To perform the computation I have used the recently developed ALPHA algorithm (and the resulting code) for the automatic computation of scattering amplitudes.

hep-ph